Copy letter from Charles Lynch

Page 1

Letters from Dublin. Easter 1916. 4th Letter. Dear Willie, In my last I described how we got round the street corner at the cost of a further casualty, a chap wounded crosswise through the bridge of the nose. Amongst those first wounded was one shot in the heel who proved a bit of a wag, and responsible for a welcome touch of comedy. An old man with a donkey barrow was about to cross the bridge in line with the street in which we sheltered, so we commandeered his donkey and barrow, borrowed a black dress from a woman in a nearby house, also a bonnet and the wounded man drove himself off to St Georges Hospital, Charley's distinguished Aunt to the life. He had scarcely gone when our leader again distinguished himself. An old man, well over seventy years, came out of one of houses in the street we held, He would be about thirty yards distant. The captain covered him with his automatic, and with his usual bawling stutter shouted "Go inside or I fire". The old boy seemed either deaf or bemused and in any case it needed use to understand our leaders speech. The old man still stood where the captains shout had halted him, making no attempt to move. The captain, dramatically, "I fire", and the old chap dropped like a wet sack. It was Damnable. Shortly afterwards a little girl left the house and returned with a priest, so presumably his was a bad case. Sergeant Sherlock the bugler boy hero of Elandslagte (5th Lancers) was of our party and distinguished himself by his cookness throughout and his smartness in taking up a position on the bridge from which he was able to snipe at the Four Courts Barricade. However we soon moved off up the street in which we had taken shelter, and so via St Thomas St to The Castle which we reached without incident. So you see our casualties were unnecessary. We had left barracks in light marching order without cloaks or rations, except for a light lunch of bread and cheese, so on arrival at the Castle we were served out with bully beef and biscuits and hot tea, it being now about mid day. Whilst we were enjoying our meal missing escort arrived with their waggons of ammunition having been relieved by one of the Guiness armoured cars previously described. The horses had been released a few days previously has no food could be provided for them. Most of them found their way home to barracks. One returned weeks later showing I was posted at the St Georges St end of the little back st running behind Dame St, and which leads directly to the castle gate. So here I break off for the present. Your chum, Charles.